Multicultural Activities and Events

Council continues to support a range of Multicultural events and activities. This has included the Hobart Peace Festivals, Council events such as “Campfire and Culture” and the “World Games Day” and activities that support cultural harmony such as Harmony Day and the “Racism. It Stops with Me” campaign. Council has also declared the City a Refugee Welcome Zone.

Refugee Welcome Zone

In June 2014 Clarence City Council declared the City a Refugee Welcome Zone. The declaration expresses the City’s commitment to welcoming refugees into the community, upholding the human rights of refugees, demonstrating compassion for refugees and enhancing cultural and religious diversity in our community.

Although the Declaration does not confer any formal obligations or financial commitments it is a way of demonstrating broad support for the principles of compassion and human rights. Council hopes that signing the Declaration will promote harmony, social cohesion and respect for human rights in our local community and wants to demonstrate support for refugees and take a strong stand against racism and discrimination.

Council hopes it will help to raise awareness about the issues affecting refugees, foster a culture of mutual respect and promote an appreciation of cultural diversity.

Racism. It Stops with Me

Clarence City Council is proud to have joined forces with some of Australia’s leading businesses, sporting bodies and NGO’s to support the 'Racism. It stops with me' campaign. Our organisation has committed to preventing racism by pledging to undertake activities in support of the campaign.

Research from 2011 shows that one in seven Australians say they experienced discrimination because of their colour or background. This figure that has been increasing steadily in recent years. Research has also shown that 70 percent of people agree that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous people are prejudiced against each other. Council believes strongly that racial and cultural discrimination is unacceptable and hopes that by supporting the campaign others will also take a stand against racism.

The national 'Racism. It stops with me' campaign, which is being led by the Australian Human Rights Commission, has been developed by a partnership of government and non-government agencies and will run until 2015. For more information about the campaign go to Racism. It Stops with Me or follow the campaign on Twitter @ItStopsWithMe.

World Games Day

Piloted in 2013, the World Games Day followed on from the Campfire and Culture events held biannually to celebrate cultural diversity in our community. The World Games Day is an opportunity to promote harmony by celebrating and sharing culture through games, sport, music, dance, and food. The World Games Day is held every two years with the next one scheduled for 2017.

The inaugural World Games Day in June 2013 presented games, sports, music and good food to celebrate the diversity of our community, bringing together people from across greater Hobart, and in particular the multicultural community to an event where people interact and play in a safe and supportive environment.

With Australian staples like cricket workshops and soccer tournaments at the top of the order, there were also new things to try including boccia, tai chi, Indian and salsa dancing amongst many others.

Along with the sports offerings, there were a variety of other things to try your hand at including circus skills training and drumming, harking back to the early Olympic days when both of these events were offered.

Paired with an array of international flavours; okonomiyaki (Japanese pancakes) by the Australia Japan Society, olliebollen from the Dutch Australian Society, soup from Sierra Leone, Mexican delicacies and entertainment by young local artist Kartanya Maynard, Wentworth Park had its own mini athletes village.

For further information regarding any of these activities please contact Community Development on 6217 9599 or email sschulz@ccc.tas.gov.au.